Full of examples and illustrations to make comic creation fun and easy

Who This Book Is For

"Manga Studio Beginner's Guide" is for beginners in comic creation. The more you know about how comics are made, the better you will be, but it's not essential to get the most out of this book. Even if you're a professional comic artist, this book will get you up to speed on using Manga Studio 5.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Installing and Setting Up Manga Studio 5

Preparing for installation

Installation of Manga Studio 5

Where are those files?

Starting up Manga Studio for the first time

Time for action – creating a new document dialog box

Summary

Chapter 2: Messing Around with Manga Studio 5

The dreaded blank page

Time for action – making our comic book page preset

Making our marks

Time for action - sketching and the digital environment

The marking tools

Creating our first custom pencil

Time for action - duplicating an existing tool

Time for action – modifying the new Sketching Large pencil

Duplicating sub tools

Time for action – duplicating a subtool for our second pencil

Time for action – making a detail pencil, our third pencil

Making a custom sub group

Testing out the pencils

Summary

Chapter 3: Formatting Your Stories

Story formats

Making the page presets

Tabs in the canvas area

Modifying older page presets or the character sheet revisited

Time for action – modifying an existing page preset

Using grids for display lettering

Adding content to the material palette

Time for action – making new materials

Summary

Chapter 4: Roughing It

What are roughs?

From script to panels

Time for action – breaking down the page

Zoom in and Zoom out

Making our page

Time for action – using layers

Drawing our rough page

Time for action – making our mark on the page

Time for making actions

Time for action – making actions

Time for action – adding existing actions

Filling in the panel contents

Refining the roughs

Time for action – refining the line

Panels in Manga Studio

Time for action – creating and setting up a frame folder layer

Time for action – cutting frames out of the frame folder layer

Time for action – creating an action to create a frame folder layer

Making panels separate frame folders

Time for action – making new frame folders using the cut frame border tool

Time for action – bleeding out to the ends of the page

Summary

Chapter 5: Putting Words in My Mouth

The soundtrack of comics

Comic lettering font conventions

Lettering in Manga Studio 5

Time for action – writing the script

Time for action – using the text tool

Time for action – creating a text tool for dialogs and captions

Time for action – lettering our first page

Time for action – making a custom dialog balloon subtool

Time for action – ballooning our dialog

Summary

Chapter 6: Pencil Mechanics

The hidden hand of comics

Time for action – preparing our workspace

Making a basic detailing pencil

Time for action – configuring the pencil size and pressure settings

Time for action – configuring ink and anti-aliasing settings

Time for action – configuring brush shape categories and settings

Time for action – configuring correction, starting, and ending settings

Making selections and working with them

Time for action – adding a button to the selection launcher

Time for action – resizing a selection

Rulers and curves

Time for action – setting up our document and tools

Time for action – drawing the straight lines

Time for action – making a curved ruler

Snapping our pencils in a good way

Time for action – snapping pencils to the rulers

Getting some perspective

Time for action – creating a perspective ruler

Interface tweaks to make penciling easier and faster

Time for action – drawing with transparency

Unmasking masks

Time for action – setting up our layer

Time for action – drawing on the mask

Time for action – applying the mask and merging layers

Using reference images

Summary

Chapter 7: Ink Slingers

The role of inking

Inking tools in Manga Studio

Time for action – making a technical pen subtool

Time for action – inking basic shapes with the technical pen

Time for action – creating an inking brush with custom pressure settings

Time for action – pressure settings

Time for action – using a Bit Husky brush for fine inking

Time for action – using the airbrush for shading

Time for action – crafting a custom Kirby Krackle tool

Time for action – creating the brush tips

Time for action – adding the brush tips to the materials

Time for action – adding the brush tips to the brush

Inking our page

Setting the tones

Time for action – locating tones in the Material palette

Time for action – preparing artwork for tones

Time for action – inking pencils with tones in mind

Time for action – applying tones to artwork

Time for action – making our own tones

Summary

Chapter 8: Coloring the World

Using the color theory for digital works

Examining the color tools

Time for action – using Manga Studio's color wheel

Time for action – shortcuts for switching main and subcolors

Time for action – making a 70s comic color set

Time for action – setting up our file for flats

Time for action – making a flatting brush

Time for action – coloring the flat color layer

Time for action – using the auto select (magic wand) tool

Time for action – tool settings for painting

Time for action – basic painting techniques for comics

Summary

Chapter 9: Adding a Third "D"

3D objects in Manga Studio

Dealing with 3D objects

Time for action – placing and manipulating a 3D material

Using a 3D mannequin

Time for action – posing the 3D mannequin

Time for action – making a scene

Manga Studio's 3D features and the future

Summary

Chapter 10: Caring about Sharing

Art is just part of the process

Exporting from Manga Studio

Printing our comic

Time for action – setting up printing at home

Time for action – exporting for copy stores

Time for action – exporting for the Web

Getting the word (and pictures) out

Keeping the momentum

Summary

Chapter 11: One More Thing

Manga Studio 5 EX

Time for action – starting a story

Time for action – the Page Manager window

Time for action – using the batch import

Time for action – using the batch export on our comic

Time for action – batch processing a story

Summary

What You Will Learn

Create your own story in Manga Studio 5

Learn how to create pages to make them presentable on the Web and on paper

Identify ways to make your comics "sound" as good as they look by using software that complements speech balloons created by Manga

Master different ways to color your comics

Use the 3D posable figures in Manga Studio 5 to augment your own knowledge of anatomy to draw characters in action poses

Discover ways to compose a page to direct the reader's attention where you want it to be

In Detail

Using Manga Studio 5 to create comics is an enriching experience. Instead of using graphite and ink, we can get creative with digital marking tools. Once you've got to grips with the basic use of these tools, creating comics digitally is just as expressive and fun as creating them on paper.

Manga Studio 5 Beginner's Guide is for beginner and experienced comic artists who are new to Manga Studio. The book delves into the methods of creating a comic, from an idea, character, script, and rough layouts, all the way to the finished art. No matter what character you are creating—superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy, real world, or Manga—Manga Studio 5 Beginner's Guide will be your go-to book for creating comics.

Authors

Michael Rhodes

Michael Rhodes took apart grocery bags at the age of five to create pads of drawing paper. Decades later, he still hasn't stopped, although he has switched from grocery bags and crayons to charcoal, paint, pen, ink, and computer. He has taught web designing at Silicon Valley College and has conducted cartooning classes for elementary school children. He has illustrated Tales of The Living Room Warrior, an eight-part fable following the epic adventures of cats from the creation of the world to the domestication of humans.

He is also the creator of Thingies, a fantasy comic book series that details the adventures and perils that a reporter experiences while she uncovers secrets of her universe. His books and art work are carried by Fantastic Comics in Berkeley, Heroes and Villains Comics in Pleasanton, and Solo Comics in the Napa wine country. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Digital Design. His cartoons and artwork are displayed at www.crtoons.com and www.quatumgumbo.com.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Installing and Setting Up Manga Studio 5

Preparing for installation

Installation of Manga Studio 5

Where are those files?

Starting up Manga Studio for the first time

Time for action – creating a new document dialog box

Summary

Chapter 2: Messing Around with Manga Studio 5

The dreaded blank page

Time for action – making our comic book page preset

Making our marks

Time for action - sketching and the digital environment

The marking tools

Creating our first custom pencil

Time for action - duplicating an existing tool

Time for action – modifying the new Sketching Large pencil

Duplicating sub tools

Time for action – duplicating a subtool for our second pencil

Time for action – making a detail pencil, our third pencil

Making a custom sub group

Testing out the pencils

Summary

Chapter 3: Formatting Your Stories

Story formats

Making the page presets

Tabs in the canvas area

Modifying older page presets or the character sheet revisited

Time for action – modifying an existing page preset

Using grids for display lettering

Adding content to the material palette

Time for action – making new materials

Summary

Chapter 4: Roughing It

What are roughs?

From script to panels

Time for action – breaking down the page

Zoom in and Zoom out

Making our page

Time for action – using layers

Drawing our rough page

Time for action – making our mark on the page

Time for making actions

Time for action – making actions

Time for action – adding existing actions

Filling in the panel contents

Refining the roughs

Time for action – refining the line

Panels in Manga Studio

Time for action – creating and setting up a frame folder layer

Time for action – cutting frames out of the frame folder layer

Time for action – creating an action to create a frame folder layer

Making panels separate frame folders

Time for action – making new frame folders using the cut frame border tool

Time for action – bleeding out to the ends of the page

Summary

Chapter 5: Putting Words in My Mouth

The soundtrack of comics

Comic lettering font conventions

Lettering in Manga Studio 5

Time for action – writing the script

Time for action – using the text tool

Time for action – creating a text tool for dialogs and captions

Time for action – lettering our first page

Time for action – making a custom dialog balloon subtool

Time for action – ballooning our dialog

Summary

Chapter 6: Pencil Mechanics

The hidden hand of comics

Time for action – preparing our workspace

Making a basic detailing pencil

Time for action – configuring the pencil size and pressure settings

Time for action – configuring ink and anti-aliasing settings

Time for action – configuring brush shape categories and settings

Time for action – configuring correction, starting, and ending settings

Making selections and working with them

Time for action – adding a button to the selection launcher

Time for action – resizing a selection

Rulers and curves

Time for action – setting up our document and tools

Time for action – drawing the straight lines

Time for action – making a curved ruler

Snapping our pencils in a good way

Time for action – snapping pencils to the rulers

Getting some perspective

Time for action – creating a perspective ruler

Interface tweaks to make penciling easier and faster

Time for action – drawing with transparency

Unmasking masks

Time for action – setting up our layer

Time for action – drawing on the mask

Time for action – applying the mask and merging layers

Using reference images

Summary

Chapter 7: Ink Slingers

The role of inking

Inking tools in Manga Studio

Time for action – making a technical pen subtool

Time for action – inking basic shapes with the technical pen

Time for action – creating an inking brush with custom pressure settings

Alerts & Offers

Series & Level

We understand your time is important. Uniquely amongst the major publishers, we seek to develop and publish the broadest range of learning and information products on each technology. Every Packt product delivers a specific learning pathway, broadly defined by the Series type. This structured approach enables you to select the pathway which best suits your knowledge level, learning style and task objectives.

Learning

As a new user, these step-by-step tutorial guides will give you all the practical skills necessary to become competent and efficient.

Beginner's Guide

Friendly, informal tutorials that provide a practical introduction using examples, activities, and challenges.

Essentials

Fast paced, concentrated introductions showing the quickest way to put the tool to work in the real world.

Cookbook

A collection of practical self-contained recipes that all users of the technology will find useful for building more powerful and reliable systems.

Blueprints

Guides you through the most common types of project you'll encounter, giving you end-to-end guidance on how to build your specific solution quickly and reliably.

Mastering

Take your skills to the next level with advanced tutorials that will give you confidence to master the tool's most powerful features.

Starting

Accessible to readers adopting the topic, these titles get you into the tool or technology so that you can become an effective user.

Progressing

Building on core skills you already have, these titles share solutions and expertise so you become a highly productive power user.